Christian Curriculum Introduced in 30 Moscow State Schools

Christianity continues to make broad inroads into Russians’ lives

After a year of studying the Foundations of Orthodox Culture in the fourth grade, fifth graders of thirty Moscow schools will continue to explore the subject within the framework of a pilot project in the new school year, reported Hieromonk Onisim, the chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Moscow Diocese, in an interview with RIA Novosti on August 6.

Foundations of Orthodox Culture is included in the fourth grade school curriculum. Following an analysis of this year’s pilot program a decision will be made about the advisability of further expansion of the course.



“The Church hierarchy has established the task of considering the expansion of the course, because after an initial introduction to Orthodox culture many families want a continuation. It is difficult to examine such a profound subject in one year,” the source noted.

He added that besides the study of Orthodoxy within the framework of the academic curriculum, school children will participate in various creative competitions: “Hegumen of the Russian Land,” devoted to St. Sergius of Radonezh; “Journey in Ancient Rus,” devoted to a more profound study of history; and also creative events in the unit “St. Vladimir—Baptizer of Rus.”

“We should explain and demonstrate to youth the meaning of the Orthodox faith—what it includes and what union with God means, in what consists the path to salvation, and in general what is the task of the Christian both for one’s own soul and for the mission in this world,” the hieromonk stated.

He also reported that the artistic works of the winners in the “Drawing” category were exhibited in the Andrei Rublev Museum and the Arkhangelsk estate museum.